King Tut's perfume bottle.
Our last post on selenite (http://tinyurl.com/poxxnj9), the transparent form of gypsum, mentioned the massive form of this mineral: alabaster. With the creamy whiteness of marble but alot softer and easier to carve, it was a favourite in antiquity for many kinds of object, from chests to handles, vases and perfume jars.
This example was discovered by Howard Carter last century during his excavation of the tomb of Tut Ankh Amun, an obscure pharaoh from the chaotic era at the end of the second intermediate period just after the politico-religious revolution of Akh En Aten. Shortly after the New Kingdom kicked off and the recent difficult times were 'deliberately' forgotten. Due to his obscurity and a dash of luck (tomb robbers never found it either), Carter deduced that his tomb must be somewhere in the Valley of the Kings, and, after some searching, the tomb was duly discovered.
Made of four cemented pieces of carved alabaster, it is carved with the names of the pharaoh and his wife (Ankh Shen Paten). The deities flanking the vase represent the Nile and its fertility in the form of Hapi, and their flowery headdresses represent upper (southern, lily) and lower (north and Nile delta, papyrus) Egypt.
Loz
Image credit, from the Cairo Museum: Frank Rydell